Bearing seal



Jan. 21, 1947. H. A. LAND Erm.

BEARING SEAL Filed Harsh 5, 1945 APatented Jan. 211,-'.19'41 i y wir l 15.4 1'49610V v unanimi-saar;tv v

A. Lang and 'wurm' o. cnrcago, Ill.,as|ignor| to International Harvester Company, acorporaticn of Newy Jersey Application Merel; 5.11945. semi -Nngtsosm i Y This invention has to do with a seal structure for bearings between relatively rotatable parts to exclude foreign matter from the bearings and to preclude A escape of .lubricant therefrom.

A general object of the invention is the provision of an improved seal structure capable 'of instantaneous adjustment to compensate for relative axial movement, relative lateral movementand relative tilting movement of relatively rotative parts between which the structure is installed. Because of its adaptation to ,these manifold adjustments, a seal embodying the invention is particularly useful between relatively rotatable parts as crawler tractor track-guide rollers and the supporting shafts therefor which are subjected to severe irregular strains.

A more speciiic object is the provision in a seal having bearing elements with opposed complemental bearing and sealing faces of an universally articulate mounting of impervious elastic material for at least one of the bearing elementsto support the same in oating relation to the other elements of the seal as weil as to the parts between which the seal is installed.

Other objects pertain to the employment oi a universally articulately mounted seal bearingelement in conjunction with an axiallyA adjustj i able ,seal unit formutually contributing to the necessary adjustment attendant to axial displacement of the parts between which the protected bearing -is installed; to a concentrically flanged guard member non-rotatlvely mounted on. one-of the parts between which the bearing is installed and which flanges project into radi ally spaced telescopic relation with respective projecting portions upon the other of said parts to eilect a labyrinth passage for shielding the bearing-.elements of the seal from coarse foreign particles; to an arrangement wherein'the sfere-- said portion telescoping with the inner concentric flange is a relatively thin flange readily deformable by said concentric ilange if engaged thereby; and to an arrangement wherein the inner concentric flange envelopes the aforesaid axially adjustable seal unit'.

These and additional desirable objects inherent in and encompassed by the invention will be more readily comprehended after reading the following description withreference to the anis a. view taken transversely through a track frame of a crawler tractor and axially through an end portion of a track roller and a bearing seal constructed according to the principles of the invention.

2 cnam. (on. 28e-@1n Eince the present bearing seal is :mrticuiariy well'suited for use in conjunction with a bearing for ay roller 'which carries the track of a crawler-type tractor, the drawing illustrates a typical installation oi a track roller. This roller4 whichis designated it Vis one of several which are similarly mounted and distributed lengthwise of and between laterally spaced track frame members il and' i2. Each roller i0 is carried 1o upon a non-rotatable shaft ii which has its opposite ends anchored in the frame members Il and it. Relier bearing units it and i5 are l mounted upon each shaltl i3 with their inner races pressed nrmly upon their respective porin tions` of their shaft and with theirouter races no Identical seal structures are employed for the' bearings it and it. so it will sumce 'to refer solely to the seal structureillustrated in longitudinal section in conjunction with the bearing unit i5. One purpose ofthe bearing seal strucn ture, which is generally designated il, is to pre-g vent the leakage of lubricating oil from the pocket i8 formed 'between the inner periphery of the roller it and the shaft It. If it were not for the seal structure, the lubricant within the pocket t8 would escape between the rollers` of the bearing units it. A- further purpose of the structure il lis to. prevent foreign matter from reaching the bearing unit it.

A dust guard member i8' of the oil seal strucd@ ture comprises a radialweb-portion i9 formed integrally with a hub portion 2i which projects outwardly through an opening 22 in the track frame. This hub 'i is semi-cylindrical and embracesvthe lower half of the right end portion w of the sha-ft it.. A' better understanding of this construction can be had by reference to the left end of the figure where the hub 23 of the cor-V responding guard member 24 is shown embracing the lower half oi the left end of the shaft Il. The diametrical opposite end portions of the semi-circular hubs 2l and 2l have flanges 25 -projecting horizontally therefrom for receiving the shanks of bolts 28 which secure these flanes Lto flanges 21 and 28l projecting outwardly from nexed drawing consisting of asingle figure which 5@ the track frame. In lthis manner the guard lliA formed integrally with the web ii. Flange 3i projects into radially spaced telescopic relation v with thev side wall of a lrecess 32 -iformed in the associated end of the roller I0 while the flange 29 projects into slightly radially spaced telescopic relation with a ange 33 of a ring 34 secured-to the roller by a number of cap-screws 35 threaded into the roller at the ottom of the recess 32. Flanges y29 and 3| there y cooperate with mated telescope portions upon the rollerin forming narrow openings 35--31 of a labyrinthpassage for 48 rotate relatively nor do these parts rotate relatively to the guard member I8. Consequently the A a xed installation` of the annular sealing mem- M excluding entry ofcoarser foreign particles into the interior portions of the seal structure.

An axially expansive sealing unit 38 is enclosed in the space between the guard flange 29 .and the shaft i3. This unit comprises a pair of telescopic rings 39 and 4l bridged near their outer peripheries by'a short flexible walled tubular element 42 which is impervious to dirt particles and oil. Ring member 4l has axially projecting studs 43 spaced circumferentially thereabout and disposed-withinl recesses 4 and holes 45 in the guard member It ends of the flexible tubular member 42 can be sccurely clamped to the members 39 and 4I to provide a very effective seal between these members. Also the relative non-rotative relation between the member 4I and the yguard I8 between theV member39 and the annular element 48 facilitates bers 46 and 41 in a, permanent fashion so they can serve as very-'effective seals.

Relative rotative movement takes place `only between the annular bearing-type sealing elements 48 and 53 at their opposed bearing faces 5t and 5 5. Bearing faces and 55 serve as eiiective seals so long as these faces are uniformly euvgaged over their entire area. It is the function of the universal articulate connection 56 to main to prevent rotation of said member. A thin ring of sealing material is disposed between the' outer face of the ring 4i, and the opposed surface of the guard member i9. A similarv ring ill' cf sealing material is disposed between the inner face of the ring 39 and a sealing bearing element 48 which has recesses-49 distributed circumferentially thereabout for receiving studs 5i on the ring 39. Circumferentially spaced helical springs tain contact of the faces 54 and 55 over their entire area irrespective of whether the shaft i3 and the roller l0 are perfectly ali-ned or the'm aires precisely parallel. When great stresses are placed upon the track frame members il and/or the track roller i9, a condition is sometimes incurred wherein the axis of the roller and that of the shaft I3 will be tilted or canted relatively to one another, so that, if it were not for the universal 52 between the rings 39 and 4i constantly urge saidrings 39 and 4i axially apart and thereby maintain a rm contacting relation between the sealing ringsl and 41 and the surfaces between which they are interposed.

An annular ring element 53 cooperates with the annular sealing element d8. Sealing element d@ is constrained against rotation by the studs 5i of the expansible sealing device 38 and has a bearing face 54-disposed in slidable sealing relation with an opposed bearing face 55 on the .element 53. Element 53 is spaced slightly radially from thev shaft I9 to permit movement relatively to said shaft and is connected for rotation withthe roller I0 by an annular body 56 of elastic owable rubber-like material such as "neoprene and an annular anchorage member 5l which is secured to the roller by the cap-screws 35.- The outer periphery of the sealing element 53 is tapered axially toward the end thereof opposite to that carrying the bearing face 55 and a portion 58 of the annular anchorage -member 51 is tapered in the same axial direction.` The annular body 58 of elastic iiowable material is suitably bonded as by` vulcaniaing'to the anchorage member 51 and to yieldable character of the annular body 58 suri-y porting the bearing sealing element 53, this 'element would also be tilted relatively to the element 48 and cause uneven wearing -of the bearing surfaces 54 and 55 to develop a leakage space there# between. Any likelihood of this contingency is overcome by the annular member 5G.

A single preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described with the ",riew of illustrating the principles of and the method of' practicing the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a seal, companion bearing elements with 1 opposed annular end faces respectively thereon for -cooperation in sliding sealing relationy during relative rotation of such elements, one of saidelements having a radially outwardly disposed periphery tapering toward the end thereof opposite to that carrying the annular face of such element,

- an anchorage ring disposed about said one ele-` mentvand having an annular outer mounting flange portion projecting radiallyof the axis of such ring and an inner conical flange portion with an inner periphery in radiallyopDOsed circumscribing relation with said outer Iperiphery of said the sealing element 53 so as to form a complete seal at the connections thereof with these parts. The cap-screws 35, in addition to securing the annular flanged member 34 and the annular anchorage member 51 to the roller I0, also serve to fasten a retaining ring 59 for the outer race of the roller bearing unit I5 in position. Annuler A sealing gaskets 5| and 52 are placed on opposite ends of the retaining ring 59.

When the device is installed the helical springs 52 in the sealing unit 38 are in a, condition of an annularouter mounting lflange portion and an axial compression and thereforevserve while re-l acting against the ring y4I to urge the ring 39 and ,the sealing element 48 axially to the left. This presses the sealingface'54 of thev element 48 against the complementa] relatively slidable face 55, placing a slightstrain in the impervious elastic body 58. None of the annular parts 4h39, and

inner conical ange portion with an inner periphery in radially opposed circumscribing relation with said outer periphery of said element and tapered lin the same axial direction, and an elastic cushion ringof impervious ilowable material interposed between and bonded to said periph'- eries in sealed connection therewith.

A. LAND.

WILLIAM O. BECHMAN. 

